Well, I'm officially a Peace Corps Trainee!

Currently eating my last breakfast in the States. Yogurt and granola, please be there for me in Cameroon!

Misconceptions and Misdemeanors*

Despite the name of this new blog, I should tell you now that I'm not moving to the ends of the earth. If anything, I'm moving to the center of it - well, not the center, like hot-iron-core type of center, but I will be at the homeland of humanity in west-central Africa. One week from today, I'll be departing my hometown of Springfield, Missouri for a 27-month adventure in Cameroon through the Peace Corps. Because that's what you do with a double major in French and Religious Studies from a state university. 

Actually the Peace Corps has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I'll be serving as a Youth Development Coordinator for two years, following the completion of my training in Bafia this December. I'll spare you the details for now - I'm sure there will be plenty of time to give anecdotes and reflections about culture, language, transportation, and the 80 billion other new things I'll be experiencing over the next weeks and months. For now, I'll just touch on the not-at-all-complex answer to the question, "Why?" 

It's amazing what people are asking when they ask "Why did you choose to join the Peace Corps?" Don't be fooled by the simplicity of the words; what they are truly asking, with their eyes and their voice, is often closer to "Why would you want to live in Africa?" or "Why aren't you doing REAL mission work, through the church?" or, my personal favorite, "Don't tell me, you voted for Obama, didn't you?"

In all seriousness, though, the plain and simple answer is that I wanted to work for an organization with the exact goals of the Peace Corps, listed on the PC website as:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

Apart from all the conversations I've had with friends, family, and acquaintances over the past few months, today gave me my first real opportunity to begin clearing away some of the misconceptions that Americans have about Africa. Through the World Wise Schools program, I've paired with two US classrooms (3rd and 4th grade) to basically act as a pen pal. I visited one of these classes today, so our correspondance while I'm abroad will feel more real to the kids. I spent a delightful half hour showing off some of my picture books and souvenirs from La Reunion and Madagascar, impressing the children with my French language skills, and answering questions. Most of the questions were expected: "Do you have to fly in a plane?" "What kind of clothes do they wear in Africa?" "Is it really hot there?" 

Some of the comments, however, threw me for a loop. Actually, they weren't the questions - they were the things the students already "knew" about Africa. Like how in Africa, there aren't any hotels, or computers, or cars, or TVs. It took some convincing to assure them that people in Africa really do have some of these things, just not to the same extent that Americans do. My favorite comment of the day came as a response to my explaination of how some women wear pareos as headcoverings. Yeah, I used the word Muslim, I admit it. No problem. Until one little (8-year-old) boy informed us that he knew who Muslims were: "They're those people who made 9/11 happen."** 

Obviously, it's not the boy's fault that his knowledge is so limited. But this is precisely what the goals of the Peace Corps are aimed toward. Misinformation and prejudice have too long fueled a sense of rivalry between peoples of different cultures. My primary goal for the next two years will be to become an agent of mutual understanding. In this, I ask for your encouragement, your prayers, and your open minds. I've been so blessed to come from such a supportive community in Missouri, and I hope that the next 27 months will bring tough questions and important answers.

With love.

Laura

*Sorry for misleading you. There aren't any misdemeanors to tell you about; the title just sounded better this way.

**If you see no problem with this boy's understanding of the word Muslim, then I'd be more than happy to discuss it with you.